The state is again looking to sell the vacant Schenectady Armory, but the minimum asking price has been cut in half from the failed 2011 attempt to offload the property, when no bids were received.
The New York State Office of General Services on Monday, June 11, announced a public auction for the Schenectady Armory will be held on Tuesday, July 24, at Schenectady City Hall in Room 110. Registration will begin at 10 a.m. at City Hall and the auction will start at 11 a.m.
The 65,000-square-foot historic building sits on 1.9 acres and the minimum bid will be $180,000. The state’s auction in May 2011 asked for a minimum of $395,000, but it failed to garner any interest from potential buyers.
Interested bidders are also required to present an initial deposit of $18,000 in the form of certified check or bank check to register for the auction. The balance of the purchase is due 120 days after notification of bid acceptance.
“We hope that this will bring out qualified bidders to be able to buy it for a price that will allow them to create a use for it that will benefit the taxpayers of Schenectady and reduce costs to the State of New York,” said Heather Groll, a spokeswoman for OGS. “It was at a point where we want to get the property back onto the tax rolls, so we are putting it back up for sale.”
Ray Gillen, commissioner of Schenectady County Economic Development and Planning and chairman of Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority, said the state has been “very cooperative” in trying to sell the building.
“They (OGS) have been extremely helpful and they have bent over backwards to help us out,” Gillen said.
The building appears to have garnered some attention from potential buyers, too.
“We have shown the property to a number of interested potential bidders,” Gillen said. “We are hopeful there will be some responses and we can get the building into some active use.”
Groll also said “a number of people” have contacted the state about the property over the past year. She said invitations would be sent to anyone who expressed interest to the state.
“There is certainly more interest in the area with the student housing next door and other investment in the area,” Gillen said. “We kept telling them that having the student housing next door is going to help increase the value of everything down here.”
Groll said any development around the property is beneficial and could help spur interest.
“We are hoping that someone will find a use that is complimentary to the things that are around it,” she said.
Gillen said a boundary line adjustment was done between the Armory and the new student housing for Schenectady County Community College. Gillen said the boundary was previously “jagged,” but has now been straightened out.
The Schenectady Armory was built in 1936 and was designed by architect William Haugaard, who designed several other armories throughout the state. The design is similar to other early armories, with an administrative section for offices and a drill hall for military maneuvers practice.
It is listed on the National and State Register of Historic Places and could possible qualify for historic preservation tax credits and other historic property programs. The building has structural steel framing and brick masonry.
There is also a garage on site that was previously used as a maintenance facility.
There are some drawbacks for any buyers, such as limited parking and the likelihood extensive renovations will be needed.
The property is being sold “as is” and the state encouraged possible bidders to seek professional advice before the sale to assure compliance with building codes for any planned use.
Gillen said there is some on-site parking but “not much” and there is some parking nearby off site. He was unsure what renovations or remodeling are needed at the facility.
“There hasn’t been any detailed engineering on the cost of updating the facility,” he said.
For information on property details, including auction requirements and legal and reference documents, visit properties.esd.ny.gov/schenectady_armory.html. For additional photos of the property visit New York State Office of General Services Flickr album.
Below is a video shot by OGS on the property:
